I about to build a gaming rig. I want a decent Graphics card that can run Battle Field 3 on ultra settings (4xaa). I know inorder to fully max out BF3, you need really good GPUs. All I want is a decent one that wont break the bank.

Is the GTX 570 Superclocked any good? I would probably do SLI in the feature.
What about the new 7770s? I would have to crossfire them, but how do they compare to a single 570?

At what resolution? You definitely don't want 7770s, no way they're going to run Ultra + 4x AA. If it's 1080p or better, the 570s aren't likely to be enough either. You want something with 2GB VRAM if you *must* have Ultra textures + 4x AA.

..Believe me, there's little reason to spend an extra 2-300 bucks on cards just for Ultra textures. It looks fantastic on all ultra (minus Textures, high) and with post processing AA.

Definantly do not go with Crossfire/SLI from the get go. If you do, you are automatically limiting yourself to limited proformance. I would go with your first option, or perhaps a 6000 series card that is cheap now.

Definantly do not go with Crossfire/SLI from the get go. If you do, you are automatically limiting yourself to limited proformance. I would go with your first option, or perhaps a 6000 series card that is cheap now.

Yeah, if by limited performance you mean a steady 60 FPS with a minimum of... you guessed it, 60 FPS. Limited, all right.

Although I agree with one of your statements. If he *must* have what he asked for, 6950s would be perfect. Then again (I've never ran Crossfire) a lot of people complain about microstuttering with AMD cards. No problems with SLI, at least on my setup.

At what resolution? You definitely don't want 7770s, no way they're going to run Ultra + 4x AA. If it's 1080p or better, the 570s aren't likely to be enough either. You want something with 2GB VRAM if you *must* have Ultra textures + 4x AA.

..Believe me, there's little reason to spend an extra 2-300 bucks on cards just for Ultra textures. It looks fantastic on all ultra (minus Textures, high) and with post processing AA.

Plus theres fxaa or smaa injectors that make the game look even better without sacrificing performance. nvidia has an extensive guide on the visual differences the different settings give and their performance impacts. ill link it real soon once i get to my computer.

and like pursuing insanity said, u definitely want a 2gb model if you want more eyecandy in bf3. plus you'd futureproof yourself better once games that require more VRAM are developed

Here's the guide I mentioned. It may or may not be useful, but it's at least interesting to see what graphics settings affect performance the most. You'll need to flip through the first several pages to get to any of the comparison charts and pictures.

I am going to be running at 1080p.
Should I go with a GTX 580. I really don't have the extra cash right now to spend on a high end card, but I guess it would be smarter to save up and extra 200 than buy a 570 and then buy a 580.
Which GTX 580 do you recommend?

Why not pick up a 7950 for cheaper than a 580? You'll be getting 3gb of VRAM as opposed to the 1.5gb on the 580 (unless you pay more for the 3gb model). Or you could pay around $60 more for a 7970 for a better card than the 580 with 3gb VRAM as well. Plus lower power consumption on the 7900 series.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the 580's at your resolution for BF3. It should run great. Just throwing out some other potential options that are similar in price.

EDIT: sry I missed the part where you said you don't have the extra cash. You may just want to pick up a 2gb model 6950. It's not as powerful as a 580, but it's still good enough to play BF3 smoothly at respectable settings for a lower cost.Edited by Leeeeeeeeee - 2/16/12 at 9:07am

Yeah, if by limited performance you mean a steady 60 FPS with a minimum of... you guessed it, 60 FPS. Limited, all right.
Although I agree with one of your statements. If he *must* have what he asked for, 6950s would be perfect. Then again (I've never ran Crossfire) a lot of people complain about microstuttering with AMD cards. No problems with SLI, at least on my setup.

Haha, I think you misunderstood what I meant. By limiting, I meant limiting upgradeability. If you decide to get two graphics cards from the begining, there is no upgrade path, besides getting a new card. He would already be at his "tier 2" upgrade.

EDIT: I also realised that I worded that sentence above completely wrong. That may have contributed to the misunderstanding.